Massively Confused
by InTheEyesOfTheUnseenOne
Summary: So I wrecked my car and probably died, and somehow ended up in the good old Mass Effect universe, but did I wake up on the Citadel or Omega? Nope, I ended up in an old smugglers ship with no experience at all. I will have to learn quick if I want to survive in this universe. So read a tale of a Galactic Buccaneer in my story. Welcome to Massively Confused!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: GREETINGS! This is a new story of mine where I will try out some new ideas of mine. Constructive criticism is welcome and don't be shy to leave the occasional review. **

* * *

"We can still go FASTER!" I yelled as I drove my beautiful red mustang through the curvy roads in backwoods Arkansas. It was nighttime and the deserted roads provided the perfect conditions for speeding to the hearts content.

"Isaac slow the fuck down!" I heard my buddy Johnny scream at me from the passengers seat.

"Come on man we are almost at EIGHTY EIGHTY MILES PER HOUR!" I yell at him as we hit an extremely sharp curve. As you probably guessed my name is Isaac, Isaac Killingsworth. Yes I have a badass last name, I know.

"We are going to die!" I heard Johnny cry, he was always so melodramatic I mean, sure we we're on a deserted road, and sure we are going fast, but isn't risking your life what fun is?

"Awe shut up man you are killing my buzz!" I said swerving with the ever squiggly road.

He looked at me with horror in his eyes, "YOU'RE DRUNK?!"

"No I don't need alcohol Johnny, I am getting buzzed off of life right now." I stated sticking my hand out of the rolled down window.

"Thank God, at least that will be one less thing we get a ticket for." Johnny said relief in his voice as he rubbed his green eyes.

"Come on man your Dad is the sheriff I doubt we will get pulled over." No sooner had I said that had the blue lights shined right behind us. "I guess I spoke too soon, just be cool man."

I looked in the mirror and quickly fixed my appearance, which wasn't easy my shaggy brown hair was everywhere and my button up shirt was dirty as hell from working with my dad at the garage that day.

The officer approached the vehicle and as I was about to say something he rudely interrupted me, "Johnny get out of the car." Shit it was the Sheriff

"Hey Sheriff Watson what seems to be the problem?" I asked as calm and coolly as I could, which probably sounded somewhere between a six year old girl, and a dying horse.

"My problem is, is that I won't have you endanger my son." He said said with ice in his voice, "In the car now Jonathan." Damn the real name he must have been in some real trouble.

"Sorry Isaac." Johnny said sympathetically as he got out of the mustang and in to his dad's squad car.

I turned to look at Sheriff Watson, "Can I go now?" I asked with fake boredom clearly evident in my voice.

"Not so fast, I have given you plenty of warnings, now here's your ticket." He said handing me the thin piece of paper.

I quickly looked it over, "You can't be serious, speeding I can understand, but a seatbelt violation too?" I asked annoyed, "Speeding is one thing, but no one wears a seatbelt."

"The law is the law kid," He said with a laugh then got serious, "In all honesty Isaac I don't care what you do to yourself, but don't involve my son."

"I would never endanger Johnny we have been best friends since second grade." I said appalled at his assertion.

"Then how do you justify speeding on the back roads?" He asked condescendingly

"Th-That's different!" I yelled.

He just shook his head. "Isaac I know it has been hard on you since your brother died, but you can't continue this self destructive behavior and hang out with my son, I won't allow it."

"He is nineteen he can do what he wants." I stated matter of factly.

"Yes, but he lives under my roof, and my word is law." He stated just daring me to say something, "You have already convinced him to take the year off instead of going to college."

I looked at Watson angrily, "He decided that for himself!" I growled with fury in my eyes.

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit, all you talked about your senior year was taking the year off and you pressured him into it." He said clearly annoyed.

I just sat silent for a couple of moments, "Can I go now Sheriff?" I asked quietly.

He just sighed, "Sure Isaac you can go." He calmly walked back to his car and drove off.

I quickly peeled out of there and drove as fast as I could. _Who does he think he is? _I thought to myself as I drove faster and faster. _Telling me I can't hang out with my bestfriend. He made all those decisions himself...Right? _No sooner had I finished asking myself that question had a buck decided to run in front of the car.

"SHIIIIIT!" I said as I tried to avoid it and slam on the breaks. It was no use I collided with the deer and my car was sent flying into a tree and my body flew out of the windshield. _So that's why you where a seatbelt._ I thought before my body collided with the ground and everything went black.

"Hey wake up!" I heard a feminine voice say as I felt a hand shaking my shoulder.

"Wake me up in fifteen minutes..." I mumbled as I made myself more comfortable on the metal floor. _Metal floor? Last thing I remember I was on the ground._ I thought to myself and instantly woke up. "Where in the hell am I?" I asked to anyone getting a good look at my surroundings. It looked like I was in what looked like a metal boxed room, it had a two benches in the center and a couple of locking in the left hand corner. _What the fuck?_

"Hey are you alright?" I turned to look and saw a blue woman looking at me.

"Holy whore of Babylon, what the fuck?!" I said as I scooted away and into the corner, and then something clicked. _Blue woman? Asari? Mass Effect? Son of a bitch I haven't played mass effet in a while, but how am I seeing her?...I crashed my mustang and now I must be in a coma of course._

She looked at me worriedly for a couple of second before trying again. "Are you alright?"

That brought my attention back to her. "Oh, of course I am alright given that you are probably the product of a dillusion and I am in a hospital bed in a coma right now." I said with a nervous laugh while looking any room to escape. _Will have to wait until she is destracted to make my escape._

"What?" She asked confusedly.

"Hey what's that over there!" I yelled pointing behind her. She fell for it and I quickly tackled her to the ground. _Ha oldest trick in the book. _

My success didn't last long as she quickly flipped our positions so she was on top and proceeded to punch me in the face. "I tried to be nice!" she yelled as she continued to be me up.

"I GIVE I GIVE!" I yelled signaling my defeat and blowing a dent in my pride.

"You fucking sand junkies think you can stow away on our ship and steal our cargo, well you gotta another thing coming." she stated angrily, "Let's see what the Jennings wants to do with you."

"Who?" I asked before she gave me a look that gave me the idea that if I didn't stuff it she would devour my soul.

She activated her omni-tool and proceeded to call this Jennings. "Jennings we got another sand junkie in the ship...Yes i'm sure...don't even go there."

I quickly zoned out and wondered what the fuck was happening, I mean i'm in a fictional universe, my mustang is most likely totalled, and a blue chick just beat my ass, this was not turning out to be a pleasant evening.

"This him?" I heard a masculine voice say as I snapped back into reality. He looked to be in his mid to late forties with greying hair and a full beard. He looked like he had been through some shit judging by the massive amount of scarring on his face.

"Yeah, I found him in here passed out. Probably stole some of the sand we're smuggling." She said eyeing me warily.

He looked at me and laughed, "I see you didn't take it any easier on him than the last guy."

The Asari just looked down, "I tried to be nice this time, but this asshole tackled me."

"You're a braver man than me," He said with a grin, "now open your mouth."

I gave no protest and he approached me and lifted up my gums and inspected my teeth.

"No he hasn't gotten into any of the sand that I can see, his teeth would be red by now." He said taking a step back and looking at his Asari counterpart.

"Then why are you on the ship?" She asked suspiciously.

I just looked at her "Fuck if I know." I stated simply.

"Haha, kid you are going places." He said with a laugh, "Isn't it obvious Jonira?"

She lifted an eyebrow, "No I don't see what is so obvious."

"He is a kid who figured he could hitch a ride on a spaceship and make it to the Citadel." She said with a grin.

"Really?" She asked clearly not convinced.

He laughed, "Look at him, clearly inexperience, messy hair, and terrible ripped up clothes."

"Hey wait jus-" I tried to object.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." She said clearly now bored with the situation.

He turned back to me, "Tell you what kid, we will take you to the Citadel you remind me of myself when I was your age," He said putting his arm around my shoulder,"I once snuck onto a transport vessel to get to Terra Nova good times."

I didn't listen to the rest of his story because there was only one thought going through my mind. _What the fuck!_


	2. Chapter 2

"So I am surrounded, twenty Batarians in front of me, and then all of a sudden a Hanar flies down and wraps its tentacles around them and proceeds to killing them easily." Jennings Said his eyes wide as dinner plates, I had just come to grips with the fact that one, I was on a space ship and two, I was in the fucking Mass Effect universe, after the initial panic which only lasted like five seconds I decided I was going to have some fun while I could in this Universe. "Needless to say I got our of there as soon as possible." Jennings said completing his story with the biggest grin I had ever seen on anyones face...ever.

"Oh bullshit Jennings!" I heard Jonira yell as she left the room.

Jennings frowned, "Oh, it wasn't bullshit I saw it with my own eyes!" he yelled erratically.

I continued to think of the amazing antics I would get into when Jennings grabbed my shoulder and hoisted me onto my feet.

"Come on boy and let me introduce you to the rest of the crew." Jennings said leading me out of what I assumed to be the cargo bay. We walked for a couple of minutes through a series of hallways and I realized something very important, this ship was a hunk of junk. I could see loose wires and leaking pipes everywhere. I couldn't even imagine how they kept this piss of shit running.

"Here we have the cockpit." I heard Jennings state surprisingly calmly. "and this here is my ever so amusing co-pilot Johnson." and there it was the excitement. I turned and saw a very reserved looking Turian look at me and extend his hand, and I quickly grasped it in a firm grip, gotta show dominance.

"Shislognar 've tu grovnoska ein Joensin." He said as he squeezed the shit out of my hand. I quickly got over my pain and looked at him blankly.

He looked annoyed, "Vovna kes penya zuk.?" he asked or stated.

"Do you not understand him boy?" asked Jennings with a look of genuine curiousity.

I shook my head and continued to look confused, until I heard Jennings burst into a fit of giggles.

"Boy you really did come from the ass end of Mars." Jennings said wiping a tear from his eyes as he tried to control himself.

I looked at him indignantly, "What's that suppose to mean?" I asked not ever liking the joke to be on my end.

"It means that you are from that backward place called Mars where me and my crew get all of our red sand and your family probably couldn't get you one of these." He said confidently holding up his wrist as his omni tool activated.

I decided I might as well role with his assumptions as I had no other plausible way to be on this ship, other than the transporters from Star Trek, but I was pretty sure they did not exist in Mass Effect. "And what does that do?" I asked indignantly playing the part.

Jennings looked astonished, "Why everything my boy including having a built in audio translator so I can understand these aliens!" He said eyes wide, "When we get onto the Citadel we will have to get you one of these."

He excitedley walked away listing off all he was going to show me at the Citadel, when I thought of something important. "Why are you doing this?" I asked my curiosity getting the better of me. No one, least of all a smuggler helps people no string attached in this universe.

He turned around and gave a soft smile, "Because I am Long John Silver James Hawkins." he said quietly as he went deeper into the ship until I could no longer see him.

I heard a cough and saw Johnson looking at me impatiently. I got the message and walked down the corridors and into the room that I woke up in. I sat there by myself for a while until I realized I was actually extremely tired. In no time I was laying down on the floor again and back to sleep.

* * *

"ZZZ-Zzzz-ZZzzz-hngGGggh-Ppbhww- zZZzzzZZ . . ."

"WAKE UP JIMBO!" I quickly jumped up and took in my surroundings, I almost freaked out again before I caught myself and realized I was just in a different universe.

"Good to see your back in the land of the living boy!" I looked over to see Jennings smiling from ear to ear, as usual.

"Not really good to be back though, I was sleeping pretty well." I said still wiping the sleep from my eyes.

He grabbed my shoulder and hurried me down the corridors, "We've got to hurry you don't want to miss it."

"Miss what?" I asked, but didn't get an answer.

I was quickly pushed into the cockpit and looked out the window at the Citadel, and boy did the games not do it justice, it was probably the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. It looked like a see creature surrounded by ethereal purple clouds. "A wonder isn't it?" asked Jennings as he took the seat beside me.

"Uh-huh." was all I replied with as I took it all in.

He just gave me as smile, "Haha, I had the same reaction when I first saw her."

"Etnara zen Chora's enthro kuvneka." stated the Turian next to us tiredly.

Jennings laughed, "Johnson nobody wants to here your groanings, we all know what happened at Chora's Den the last time we were here."

We quickly flew into the arms of the Citadel and docked in one of the wards.

Almost Immediately what I assumed to be the whole crew arrived at the cockpit. I saw Jonira with a tired look on her face strapped in full Asari commando armor, a human woman with a look determination as she loaded her shotgun, and a Salarian with only one eye looking over something on his omni-tool.

Jennings immediately looked at all of them with a stern and determined face, "Men, today we are to supply Chora's Den with yet another supply of Red Sand, I know it is a perilous trek, but with hard work and determination we shall succeed where others have failed." he finished his mini-speech and turned to see that the crew was already loading the Sand onto a forklift type thing and were about to head to Chora's Den.

"That is what I like about you people always focused on the important things." He said with a smile.

He quickly walked over to Jonira and whispered something in her ear, she quickly nodded and everyone headed out except for me and Jennings.

"Why didn't we go with them?" I asked.

Jennings smiled at that, "To get you an omni-tool my boy." he stated it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?"

He laughed, " 'Why' he asks, because without it you are useless. How have you survived this long without one?"

I decided to play along with my character, "Martian Backwater remember?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, but your people are known for being sand junkies." He stated remorselessly as he motioned for me to follow him.

"Says the man who transports it." I said with a laugh as I took in the sights, so many aliens and shop vendors it was insane how anybody got anything done with all the hustle and bustle around this place.

I continued to follow Jennings until we came up to a Salarian vendor, it seemed like Jennings was bartering or maybe threatening the vendor, but whatever it was he was successful.

"Here you are my good sir." He said as he fitted the thing onto my wrist. He quickly showed me how to turn it on and do some of the basics.

"You should now be able to undestand all these aliens perfectly." He said with a grin, "Now that that is done onward to Chora's Den!"

We walked through the vendors and shop keeps for a while until we came to a more shady part of the Citadel, and there we found Chora's Den in all its shitholiness.

Jennings took a big sniff, "You smell that boy, that is the smell of credits." he said with a look of contentment.

I sniffed the air and had to resist the urge to gag, "It smells like trash and sweat to me."

We walked a little further down the Den passing many strippers as well as drunk patrons until we found the rest of Jennings crew drinking on the other side of the circular bar.

"So how did the negotiations go without me?" Jennings asked looking seriously at Jonira.

She rolled her eyes, "Believe it or not better than usual," she then looked back at where Fist's office was,"but it did seem like Fist was in a hurry for some reason."

Fist was still here? Then I could get onto Shepards crew, all I had to do was save a squad mate like everybody wrote about in fan fictions.

"Can the little vorcha understand me now?" I heard Johnson say as he quietly sipped his drink looking nervous.

"As a matter of fact I can, thank you very much." I said confidently looking a him.

"Good because the last thing we need is for you two to fight because you can't understand each other." I heard the human woman say as she extended her hand, "The names Sinclair by the way."

I shook her hand firmly, "So what do you do on the ship?" I asked honestly curious because Jennings had never completed my tour.

"I work with the engines on the old girl, so I guess you could say i'm the engineer-ish type thing, I have no formal training." She said sheepishly while rubbing the scar on her face, I presumed she must have her herself more than once working on the engines.

"Greetings human, very good to meet the stoaway that decided to sleep on the ship, can honestly say we have never had that problem. My name is Tolin" The Salarian said it all so fast I could barely make out what he was saying.

"Well if you lived on Mars, you would get off any chance you could." Keeping in line with my character.

"Here you go boy, have a drink on me!" I heard Jennings say as he stuck a green beverage in my face.

I looked it over before shrugging, and taking a swig. I can honestly say it was the most unpleasent things I had ever experienced, even worse than the time I drank my grandfathers moonshine. I felt my chest burn and the room spin and before I could say anything else I was on the floor and everything was dark.

* * *

"Hey kid you okay?" Jonira said snapping her fingers in my face.

I lazily opened my eyes, "Yeahhh, whay rrr we not at Cairo's Dome." I asked as I got a blurry look at my surroundings, it looked like we were in an alley.

Jonira laughed "About thirty minutes after you passed out Fist's men ordered everyone to leave or get blown away, so we chose to get out of paying our for our drinks and left." Jonira stated with a smirk.

Fist telling everyone to leave! That means that Tali was in trouble!. I stumbled through the alley and fought the urge to fall flat on my face and go to sleep as I continued through the confined space.

"Hey Kid where are you going?" I heard Johnson ask as they followed behind my stumbling form.

"I gott-uh svave the GIRL and becum HERO!" I yelled as I continued my pathetic excuse for walking.

"By the Goddess Jennings did you have to give him ryncol?" Jonira asked seriously as she worriedly looked at my drunken self.

"Haha sorry about that, i'll make sure to not give him ryncol again." I heard Jennings say as he laughed at my predicament.

It took a while, but I finally found the alley I was looking for or at least I thought so, everything kinda becomes similar when your drunk.

"No the deals off." I heard a synthesized voice of Tali say as she swatted the creepy Turians hand away.

"HEY! Nevah poot yur -ands on a wooman when she saiys NO!" I yelled as I fell down the steps leading into the alley and looked up at the very confused Turian and his Salarian counter parts, who were quickly blown away by a well placed mine from Tali.

"WOOH YEAH!" I heard the voice of Jennings yell as he ran down the steps and tackled the Turian. "Have at you matie!" He yelled as he pulled out a knife and stabbed the Turian through a weak spot in his armor, "Let's see your shields deflect that." Jennings stated quietly as the turian closed his eyes likely for the last time.

"Jennugs wha -appned where is -verybody else?" I asked as I only saw him in front of me, all be it two versions of him.

He laughed, "They went back to the ship boy, seems they no longer wanted to see your drunken escapades."

"Looks like we missed the party Shepard." I heard a female voice state as I saw a man, a woman, and a Turian walk into the alley.

"I'd have to agree with you on that one Ashley." I heard Shepard say as they walked down the steps, and right up to Jennings.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Asked Shepard as he looked at Jennings.

Jennings just smiled, "Of course I can Commander!" he said a little too cheerfully.

Shepard seemed a little bit taken back by that, "Have we met?" asked Shepard as he looked at Jennings a little closer.

"No, but it isn't everyday that someone wins the Star of Terra, you are the Alliance poster boy Commander get used to people knowing you without having met you. The names Jennings by the way." He said as he gave the Commander as smile.

"Will do, Now about what happened here?" He left the question in the air.

Jennings laughed "My crew member had a little too much to drink at the bar, and he wondered into the alley in a drunken stupor. When we came in that Quarian that keeps peaking behind the shipping crates," Tali's eyes got wide," yes I see you girl, was about to be attacked by that dead Turian and those two dead Salarians you see on the floor."

Shepard surveyed the damage, "You took all of these guys out by yourself?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

"No Commander the Quarian did most of the work by blowing those two Salarians to high hell, I just stabbed the Turian." Jennings said hoisting me up to my feet as I hung my arm around his neck to keep myself up.

"Actually if it weren't for that human's," she said pointing at me, "Distraction I would have never had the opportunity to catch the Salarians off guard, thank you." She said looking at me.

"Yu arrr welcuome." I said barely keeping myself conscious at this point.

Shepard looked at me worriedly, "You might want to get him back home." Shepard stated concern in his voice.

Jennings smiled, "Will do Commander, have a nice day."

I tried to protest but my drunken body would'nt do anything other than be pulled by Jennings.

"Fucking Alliance types." I heard Jennings murmur before I passed out again.

* * *

I woke up with a piercing headache, on a very uncomfortable bed.

"AHHHH!" I yelled as I gripped my head with both hands.

I heard laughter to the side of the bed and saw Jennings smoking a cigarrette. "Relax boy it passes."

"Stop calling me boy, I have a name you know." I said angrily as I looked at him.

"And that would be?" Jennings asked.

"Isaac, Isaac Killingsworth." I stated proudly through the pain.

Jennings gave a look of distaste, "No that won't do let's see, we'll call you Zatarra!" He said happily as he got up to leave the room.

"It sounds fearsome." I said with a grin.

He laughed, "It means Driftwood."

Dammit.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you ever gonna get up kid?" Jonira asked as she handed me a glass of some strange smelling liquid. It had been a couple of days since the incident at the Citadel, but I still hadn't recovered.

I took the mug in my hand, "Maybe, but that ryncol shit made my insides feel like my outisides."

She sighed, "It will do that, next time i'll make sure Jennings gives you Batarian ale or Asari wine." She said with a laugh.

I thought for a second, "Why? What happened to human alcohol?" I asked genuinely curious as to why I never saw any human drinks at the bars in the game.

She gave me an odd look, "Outside of your peoples colonies it hasn't really caught on. The only human drink I have ever had is something your people call vodka." She said with a look of distaste.

I laughed, "I'm gonna have to get you to try some Tennessee Whiskey on of these days." I chuckled and took a sip of the liquid she handed me, "Hmmm this is good," I stated after letting the taste of mango and citris sit on my tongue for a minute. "What is it?"

"It is Asari moon tea, I have found it does wonders for a hangover." She said seriously.

"And how did you figure that out?" I asked as I continued to drink the tea, which was already making me feel better.

"Kid I am three hundred and twenty five years old, I have had more hangovers in my time then you probably ever will." She stated simply as she looked at my clothes. "Do you have anything else to wear?"

"No." I stated bluntly as I moved to sit up in the cot I had been sleeping in.

"Damn, then I guess we will have to raid Heinlein's locker, you two look to be the same size." She said as she went over to a locker beside my cot and used her biotics to break the lock. She looked in it for a minute before pulling out a forest green coat that looked like it would go down to the middle of my calves, a pair of heavy looking boots, grey canvas pants, and a basic black undershirt.

"You expect me to where that?" I said as I eyed the clothing.

"Yes, when we get to Noveria we can't have you freezing to death in a shirt and 'jeans'." She said pointing to my clothes.

"Fine." I said getting up from the bed and taking the clothes. I started to take off my clothes before I noticed that Jonira was still looking at me. "Do you mind?" I asked her as I motioned to myself.

"No." she stated simply as she continued to look at me. I just stared at her for another minute before she rolled her eyes and turned around, "Honestly you humans are so touchy about nudity. Not everything has to be sexualized, the fact that your species views nudity in that way is quite childish."

She continued her rant about nudity, and art for quite sometime while I changed into this Heinlein guy's clothing. "I'm done." I said pulling the long coat onto my shoulders.

She turned around and whistled, "Well don't you look all rugged now. Still doesn't change the fact your softer than a Hanar."

I gave her the evil eye, "Who says i'm soft."

She walked over to me and got really close to my face. My mouth got dry and I swallowed some imaginary liquid as she looked me square in the eye. The moment was broken quickly when she grabbed my arm twisted it over my head and flipped me to the other side of the room with her biotics.

"That wasn't fair." I wheezed as I tried to catch my breath.

She laughed, "Fights are never fair."

She turned to leave the room and then I remembered something, "Will this Heinlein guy mind me borrowing his clothes."

She stopped for a second and then responded, "He's dead so I don't think you have to worry." She said solemnly as she left the room.

* * *

"So I hear we're headed to Noveria." I said as I came up to the cockpit.

Johnson looked up at me and nodded silently.

"You aren't much for conversation are you Johnson." I said as I took a seat on the other side of the cockpit.

He gave me a sour look, "First off my name isn't Johnson." He stated bluntly looking about the controls.

"Ha, I knew it. So what is your name?" I asked genuinley curious.

He gave a sigh, "Joensin, Jennings thinks it's funny to call me that human name that sounds similar."

"So why do you let him do it?"

He gave me a serious look, "For how crazy that man is, he has saved my life on more than one occasion, and has been a good friend to me. If all he wants from me is to take a couple of jokes then that is miniscule compared to what I owe him."

I looked at him seriously, "What did he do to earn that much trust?" I asked never really seeing this side of Jennings myself.

He looked down, "When I first left the military I wound up in Omega getting my ass beat by a group of Batarians. They were going to enslave me, but just as they were about to take me down Jennings comes in and takes them all down. I don't know how he did it, but he did."

I thought for a moment, "When I fell down the steps in the alley in the Citadel Jennings killed a Turian with a knife. A KNIFE, I guess Jennings has a way of getitng serious when it matters." I said more to myself then anyone remembering that he did do something like that for me.

"Agreed." I heard the voice of our resident one eyed Salarian say as he appeared in the cockpit.

"Tolin, good to see you leave your room for once." Joensin said not looking away from his instruments.

"What did Jennings do for you?" I asked Tolin.

He gave me a look of sadness as he rubbed where his missing eye should have been. "When I was younger I ended up on the wrong side of the terminus systems chasing a rare piece of technology, when I thought I had found it I was ambushed by Bloodpack mercenaries who held me down. A Krogan battlmaster showed up and pulled my eye out of its socket and proceeded to eat it. Jennings Showed up a while later stole the technology and saved me by sneaking me out of their base." He said extremely fast.

"Damn." I said looking out of the cockpit at the stars.

* * *

"You're in my seat Zatarra." I heard jennings say as I snapped out of my daydreaming state.

"Sorry." I said as I got up and headed for my cot.

"Where are you going boy?" Jennings questioned before I could leave the cockpit.

"To my cot." I said simply.

"I don't think so, we are about to arrive at Noveria." Jennings said with a grin.

Joensin grumbled, "I hope that this trade is worth it, we are going to loose a lot of credits."

"Relax Johnson, what this leads to will make us more rich than the council!" Jennings yelled to the heavens with childish glee.

"What's happening?" I asked wanting to know what was going on.

"In due time my boy, in due time." Jennings said as he went silent.

We entered into Noveria's atmosphere and quickly docked at their port.

"Zatarra pick that package behind Johnson up and follow me." I looked and saw a package that I hadn't seen yet sitting right behind Joensin. I picked it up and followed Jennings to the airlock. He opened it and I felt the coldest I had ever felt in my entire life.

"Son of a bitch it's colder than the ninth level of hell." I stated as I followed jennings onto the port.

"Luckily we don't have to stay here long, we won't even have to leave Port Hanshan this time." Jennings said as we moved a couple of docks down until we were behind a couple of Cargo boxes. "Set the package down." Jennings said seriously as he stuck his hand between two of the cargo boxes before smiling. "I new Opold wouldn't let me down."

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"This is what is going to lead us to the Batarian ship I have been looking for." Jennings said with a grin. "Come on let's get outta here."

I followed him through the port and back to the ship. As soon as we stepped through the airlock he ran for the cockpit. "Johnson set a course for Omega."

"Yes Sir." Joensin replied as he started up the ship.

"What's in Omega?" I asked as I looked at Jennings.

"Our destiny!" Jennings yelled as we headed back into space.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter, but it was little Character development that is going to lead to the bigger parts of the story. Nice Job Catching the reference Mr. Crowbar.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Now you see these wires sticking out. You connect each of the wires to their corresponding sockets and...are you even listening?" I had zoned out long before Tolin had asked me that question.

"Why do I have to do this." I asked Tolin as I continued my pointless observation of the light above me. I had been doing this mundane shit for a week since we left Noveria.

Tolin gave a exasperated sigh, "Because everyone on this ship has a job except you, and maintenance seems to be the best match considering your skills or lack thereof."

I looked at him annoyed, "I could gain more skills if you guys trained me." I stated simply as I looked in his eye.

"Would you like to learn tech, engines, combat, or piloting?" Tolin asked quickly. I fumbled for an answer for a minute, "Exactly, so while you figure that out in the meantime you learn matenance as per Captain Jennings orders."

He went back to explaining how to fix the wires and the pipes AGAIN for another couple of hours before I was able to handle it myself. It wasn't that this work was hard, it was just repetitive and I would quickly forget how to do it. I worked for the rest of the day on the wires before I came back to my cot and laid down.

"So how was work?" asked Jonira as she appeared from the corner of the room.

I jumped at her sudden appearance but quickly recovered, "Boring, I thought smuggling was suppose to be exciting."

She raised her...eyebrow, type thing, "Whoever told you that was lying through their teeth. We mostly do this, sit on the ship and go to the next port. Pirating now that is exciting."

"How so?" I asked as I sat up in the cot.

"Well you get to raid ships, stations, and the occasional colony. The downside is, is that it is way more dangerous than what we do." She said as she sat down in a chair on the other side of the room.

I looked at her curiously, "It sounds like you have some first hand experience." I stated bluntly.

"I do, but not in the way you think. I was on the other side of the coin, an Asari Commando. Oh if mom could see me now she would be furious." She said as she pulled a bottle of liquid from under the chair. "Asari wine?" She questioned.

I nodded and she pulled out two glasses from the locker she had torn open the week before and poured me a glass. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." She said as she poured herself a glass and sat down.

We sat in comfortable silence for a while until I asked her a question, "Why did you give up on being a commando?"

She laughed, "Where do I even begin, the rules, the regulations, and all that other nonsense. You don't even end up doing anything good." She said exasperated, "All the laws end up helping and funding criminals in the end anyway. Take the red sand we transport, if the council made it legal instead of outlawing it, your people could sell it as a valuable commodity instead making smugglers fortunes by selling it on the black market."

I just nodded, continued drinking the alcohol, and let her vent.

"Honestly becoming a smuggler was the smartest thing I ever did." She said with a smile as she steadily sipped on her wine. "The freedom out here in the terminus is something you will never find anywhere in council space."

"Agreed." I said thinking back to all the regulations you run into in the first game, that you only get to bypass because you are a spectre. "So how did you become a smuggler?" I pried.

"I had just left the commandos and Jennings offered me a job." She stated simply.

I gave her a bored look, "Well that was certainly a lot less interesting than Tolin and Joensin's stories."

She gave me a tired look, "Kid, not everyone has this grand tale of how they ended up where they do in life, some people just got bored and said fuck it." she said as she got up from the chair and walked out of the room.

She did have a point.

* * *

The next day I while I was cleaning the halls Jennings came to me looking as calm as a Hindu cow, "So Zatarra, do you know how to shoot?"

Well that was an odd thing to ask someone out of the blue, "Yes, of course." I said truthfully thinking back to all the times I hunted with my family back in Arkansas.

"Show me." He commanded as he pulled an assault rifle off his back, handed it to me, and pointed to a can he must have set up on the other side of the room. I dropped down to one knee, aimed, and fired. The can flew away as the bullet hit it.

"Not bad," He said looking mildly impressed. "Now shoot the one over there." He said pointing to another can he had set up.

I dropped to my knee again and took my aim, but as I pull the trigger Jennings held "RAHHH!" I missed the can and it a pipe that immediately started to blow steam out.

I turned to Jennings angry, "What the hell was that?"

"That is called a combat situation, that hunting bullshit is not gonna work in the line of fire your gonna have to be fast AND accurate if you want to survive." He stated seriously

I thought for a moment and then looked down, knowing he was right.

"Jennings we are about to arrive." I heard Sinclair say as she passed by us heading for engineering.

"Thanks for the info Sinclair." Jennings said as he looked at my dejected form. "Aww don't look so sad Zatarra, you're young you have plenty of time to learn." He said.

I shook my head knowing what was going to be coming soon, "But what if I don't?" I asked sincerely.

He put his arm around my shoulder, "Don't talk like that Zatarra, you've got a while yet to make your mark on this galaxy." He said with a small smile.

"I hope you're right." I said quietly.

He gripped my shoulder tighter, "Tell you what, why don't you come with me, Jonira, Joensin, and Tolin onto Omega."

I looked up at him, "Really?" I asked not believing that he would trust me that much.

He laughed, "How else are you gonna learn if not from experience? Now go and get ready."

I quickly went into my room and got my coat and boots on, but before I could leave Jonira walked in. "That won't do. Your chest is completely open it is a prime target." She walked over to the broken locker, and pulled out a piece of armor that looked like it belonged on the torso.

"Has it eve occured to you that I already have enough problems with wearing a dead guys clothes?" I asked. Honestly it did freak me out a little.

"Then go buy some of your own...That's right you don't have a credits." She said with a laugh and she pulled off my coat and helped me get the armor on.

We slipped into an awkward silence that I was more than happy to interrupt, "You seem to know your way around this room a good bit." I stated.

"Oh, yeah that was just me and Heinlein." She said as we finished up my armor, "we were close I guess." She said quietly

"I'm sorry for bringing it up." I said quietly.

She smiled, "Don't be, we Asari as a people have gotten used to our lovers dying long before us."

We finished up and left my room and made our way to the airlock.

"You two made it, good." Jennings said as he pulled up the image of a very heavy duty looking pirate ship on his omni-tool

"This is the Constant, it is a pirate ship commanded by one Allistair Tenpenny." Jennings stated calmly.

Joensin gave him an odd look, "How do you know this?" He looked a little insulted he was not told of this information.

"Because, it was mine. That bastard took everything away, my ship, my crew, and all the research I had gathered on the Ultimam Partem." Jennings growled quietly behind clenched teeth.

"What is this Ultimam Partem." Talon asked curiously his one eye going wide.

Jennings just gave him an exasperated look, "It is a piece of Prothean tech that I had dedicated my life to finding. Allistair was my first mate. We did a good bit of pirating here and there but we were more about the treasure and just when it seemed like we were about to find it he staged a mutiny." Jennings said with fire in his eyes, "For five years I have been waiting for him to use my research to find it and he finally did, but he isn't getting away!" Jennings said as he picked up his assault rifle and walked down the hall and out of the airlock.

After a stunned silence we all followed him outside and into the shithole that was Omega. It smelled of dead mouse and sex, with a hint of cigarrettes for good measure. I could see people sleeping on the ground as soon as we came left the confines of the ship. I knew it was bad, but seeing it in person is a lot different then seeing the pixelated forms.

"Jennings, we can't just storm in there." Jonira stated as we followed him through a couple of alleys and into another port.

Jennings slowed down for a moment and took a deep breath, "You're right," he went into deep thought for a minute or two before he smiled, "Jonira and Tolin you're with me. Johnson take Zatarra and hit them from the top."

Joensin nodded and grabbed me by the arm, "Come on let's go 'borrow' a transport."

As we looked around for a skycar I thought I saw a hooded figure out of the corner of my eye. I turned to where I thought I saw the figure, but I was only greeted to the sight of a sickly Vorcha lyring on the ground.

"Come on I think I see one." Joensin said as I looked back one last time at where the hooded figure was.

We approached the skycar and were immediately confronted with it's owner, "What do you want Turian." the Batarian said in his standard gruff voice as he eyed Joensin warily.

Joensin just rolled his eyes and shot the unarmored Batarian in the shoulder before getting into the car.

"Hey, you coming?" Joensin asked and I realized I had just been standing there staring at the cowering Batarian.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, "Yeah." I stated simply as I got into the passengers side and we ascended above the slums of Omega.

"Jennings is sending us the location now, we should be there in about fifteen minutes, hope you're ready." he said driving the skycar over another slum.

"So am I." I said quietly as I thought back to the Batarian, Could I really shoot somebody that mercilessly.

We slipped into silence and we soon saw the Constant. It was a huge ship that had the most intimidating guns attached to the front, and a red and grey pattern of colors.

"Jennings, we are about to arrive, care to provide that distraction?" Joensin said over his earpiece.

"Will do." I heard Jennings reply.

A couple of seconds later the dock that the ship was attached to lit up like the fourth of July. I could see bodies fly down to the depths of Omega as they fell off the port and the gunfire that Jennings, and Jonira were laying down on them was tense.

Joensin flew us to the top of the ship where we quickly landed the skycar and got out. "So what do we do now?" I asked Joensin.

He didn't pay any attention and quickly found a hatch and started planting explosives around it. "I'd stand back." He said as he ran behind the skycar.

I quickly followed suit just as a huge explosion rocked the ship.

"Follow me." Joensin said as he ran and jumped into the giant hole that was now in the roof of the ship.

I followed Joensin and jumped in and saw a couple of dead Batarians scattered about. They must have been caught in the blast radius.

We moved through the halls only coming into contact with a few pirates that Joensin quickly took out. Just as we rounded another corner a group of five pirates rushed forward and opened fire.

We quickly took cover behind some crates that seem to be everywhere in this universe.

Joensin opened fire on them while I stuck to the cover like super glue. "Come on Zatarra, OPEN FIRE!" Joensin yelled as he took down one of the pirates.

I started to breath heavily and came out of cover I fired and missed. "SON OF A BITCH!" I yelled as I went back into cover just as a wave of bullets went in my direction. I waited until I heard some of them reload before I came out of cover again and fired, this time taking one of the Batarian pirates to the ground.

"Nice, now keep doing it!" Joensin yelled as he took out another pirate this time a turian.

I came out of cover and missed as a bullet it my shields. I went back into cover quickly and reloaded my assault rifle.

"This is taking too long, stay behind the crates." Joensin yelled as he pulled out a grenade and through it down the hall at the remaining Human and Batarian pirate. The hall was consumed in an explosion that's sound reverberated throughout the halls.

"Dammit!" I yelled gripping my ears with my hands.

"Come of kid, let's move." he said as hell moved forward with his weapon drawn.

I got up and followed and looked at the dead pirates. I found the Batarian I had killed and looked at him for a minute in silence.

"I take it, it was your first time." Joensin stated as he came up next to me.

I silently nodded and continued to look into his lifeless four eyes.

"Come on, we need to keep moving, Jennings said he just made it onto the ship."

We walked through the ship for another thirty minutes without coming into contact with any of the Pirates which I thought was odd.

We walked down a flight of stairs and came into contact with Jennings and the rest of the crew.

"Good to see you two made it." Jennings said with a smile.

Joensin looked at him frustrated, "We haven't run into any of the pirates in thirty minutes, where are they?"

"We haven't seen any since we entered the ship." Jonira said tiredly

Tolin looked up from his omni-tool annoyed, "Like I said, must have heard about our attack and left. This simply a ruse to slow us down." Tolin said fast.

"Your friend is right." Said a female voice coming from down the hall.

I turned my head and saw the hooded figure from earlier walking down the hall.

Jennings lifted his rifle, "and who might you be."

She walked forward a little more before stopping in front of us, "My name is Seneca Axemi, and I have been following Tenpenny for months." She said still not showing her face behind the hood.

"And why is that?" Jennings asked suspiciously.

"Because," she said lifting her head to reveal her purple face and tatooed lower lip, "he killed my mother."


End file.
